Creation Station: Got Your Back!

#creationstation   #stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   Would you look at that new blog header! Isn't it amazing? It was created by one of our design team members, Elizabeth Price. She's super-duper talented in every way!

Our theme this month is "got your back" and we'll be showing you different ways to create backgrounds. With this design team, you are sure to get loads of ideas.

I've really stepped outside my creative box for today's cards--they're more "artsy" than the cards I usually make. But I've been dying to try a couple of background techniques I learned from Lydia Fiedler a few years ago. Lydia is the Miss Frizzle of stamping--she encourages us to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. These two background techniques can be messy, so I'd recommend some vinyl gloves. Don't say I didn't warn you!

For my first card, I started with a 3-3/4" by 5" piece of Shimmery White Card Stock. I sponged Mint Macaron all over. Then I mixed in some Balmy Blue. Next, I sponged some Rococo Rose, leaving the Mint Macaron-Balmy Blue center. Finally, I sponged, Pretty Peacock leaving some of the Rococo Rose exposed.

I squirted a few drops of Whisper White Craft Refill into the lid of an embellishments box, used a Stampin' Spritzer to add a bit of water, and then dropped in some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. I mixed this concoction together and used a small paint brush to splatter it over the card front to get this galaxy effect.

Next, I used the Stamparatus to stamp the sentiment from the "Rooted in Nature" stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. I then stamped it again with Versamark, sprinkled on some Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, and set it with my Heat Tool. You can emboss any color with this technique!

My next card uses a version of the ink pad smoosh technique. I started with a 3-3/4" by 5" piece of Watercolor Paper. I smooshed it directly into a Lovely Lipstick Ink Pad, and then into a Pineapple Punch Ink Pad, and finally into a Bermuda Bay Ink Pad.

Then I used a Stampin' Spritzer and sprayed water all over the paper until it was really soaked. I dropped drops of Lovely Lipstick, Pineapple Punch, and Bermuda Bay Reinkers onto the paper and let the ink flow where it would. I dried the colors with the Heat Tool.

It looks like a hot mess, but wait until you see what I did with it! First I cut off most of the Lovely Lipstick because I smooshed it too hard and it was too much. Then I flipped the piece over so the blue was on the bottom and saw exactly what to do.

I stamped the lighthouse from the "Sailing Home" stamp set in Soft Suede Ink onto a piece of Watercolor Paper and cut it out with the matching Smooth Sailing Die. Then I took an Aqua Painter and moved some of the ink around, filling in the lighthouse, without losing the stamped lines. I adhered this to the smooshed piece with Stampin' Dimensionals, stamped some birds in Memento Tuxedo Black, and added the compass rose in Soft Suede to help antique the piece.

I adhered the smooshed piece to a 4" Early Espresso Card Stock square and used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere the matted piece to a Crumb Cake Card base, cut lengthwise. I stamped a sentiment from the "Sailing Home" set in Soft Suede onto a piece of Watercolor Paper and cut it out with one of the Stitched Nestled Layers Dies.

I hope you enjoyed my "artsy" backgrounds and I hope I've inspired you to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. You never know what art you will create!!

Next up is the fabulous Tanya Bell from Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia!

tams# 34925 Galaxy Card

Product List

Rooted In Nature Clear-Mount Stamp Set [146482] $42.00	Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad [147106] $7.50	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' Pad [147105] $7.50	Rococo Rose Classic Stampin’ Pad [150080] $7.50
Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad [150083] $7.50	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Versamark Pad [102283] $9.50	Pretty Peacock 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [150880] $8.75
Rococo Rose 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [150882] $8.75	Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138337] $8.75	Shimmery White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101910] $10.00	Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill [101780] $4.50
Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter [133751] $6.00	Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder [109130] $6.00	Stamping Sponges [141337] $4.00	Stampin' Spritzer [126185] $3.00
Stamparatus [146276] $49.00	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053] $30.00

tams# 34926 Smoosh Technique

Product List

Sailing Home Bundle [151066] $50.25	Lovely Lipstick Classic Stampin' Pad [147140] $7.50	Lovely Lipstick Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [147179] $3.75	Pineapple Punch Classic Stampin' Pad [147141] $7.50
Pineapple Punch Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [147180] $3.75	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad [147096] $7.50	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [131156] $3.75	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [147115] $7.50
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [120953] $8.75	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [119686] $8.75	Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper [149612] $9.00
Stitched Nested Labels Dies [149638] $35.00	Stampin' Spritzer [126185] $3.00	Aqua Painters [103954] $17.00	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053] $30.00